The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-03
Gorgeous Style in Which w. X Wander
bilt Will Journey Around the World.
His Wife Is One Among the Ultra-Fashiona-
bles, but She Occasionally Does Something
Useful, of Which an Instance Is Given.
Clara's Observations Among the Female
Betters at the Jerome Park Track.
Women Do Not Indulge in All the Follies of
Fashion-Scenes at Kiralfy Ballet Re-
hearsal-Secrets department.. Houses.

Special to the Indianapolis Jeurnas.
NEW YORK, July about the time that this
letter is being read the steam yacht Alva will
get ont of sight of land from the bay of New
York She is the biggest and costliess private
vessel aioat. and che will carry William &.
Vanderbilt and his family on tour clear around
the world. The extreme luxury OF this yacht
could hardly be made comprehensive by col
umn of description. She is fitted out with every
thing that the owner and his advisers could
think of to render life aboard enjoy able. She is
as capacious as the city residence of his family.
as completely equipped with servitors. and in
all devisable ways an abode of such
magnificent extravaganza as monarch
of a century ago dreamed of. The
journey is to last year more, but will
be broken by stops at principal cities. Nothing
approaching this in the way Of luxurious travel
has before been achieved. Mrs. William K.
Vanderbilt is the beauty and dasher of all the
Vanderbilts- Her social dongs have ever had
vim and style undesired. at least unattained.
by any other lady among them. Her toilets,
her equipages. her diversions have been always
new and sometimes strange, while the others
have seemed to strive for privacy seclusion and
quetude. To her is due the conception of this
round the world splendor The route of the
Alva will be first to London, and next to Paris.
with the East to follow. Dinners and balls will
be given on board, and it is unlikely that Cleo
patra in her barge created the stir that the Van
derbilts will make in the old world with the
Alva.
~
Don't set Mrs Willie Vanderbilt down for q
creature light hearted to feel for less fortu
nate felow-womon. She does a great deal in
charitable and helpful ways, and / happen to
know that her last act of benevolence was to
give $50 to poor sewing woman who had been
swindled. Not only that but she referred the
subject to alawyer. with instructions to use all
the money and time necessary to prevent other
women from being victmized. The sufferer, in
this case, received printed circular from the
Aid. supply Company, 43 Eliot street, Boston. 1t
said that she could get plenty of easy. light
needlework TO do at home by sending dollar as
security for the materials, which would be for
warded oy mail. She mailed the dollar believ-
ing the glowing assurance that the aid company
was rich and benevolent If the swindle had
consisted of merely stealing the dollar it would
not have been bad it was. Instead, she
promptly received some pieces of stamped plush,
with the materials to embroider them. She went
at it elatedly, and in three days had earned,
according to the promise of the circular, about
81. She returned the work, and never afterward
could get word from the rascals. Investga-
ton has shown that thousands OF women through
out the coutry have been fooled in the same
manner, being led to contribute not only dollar
apiece, but the labor by means of which some
scoundrelly dealer in fancy goods has obtained q
stock without cost. Anything more ingeniously
devilish can hardly be imagined, aud Mrs. Willie
W
1t is mistaketo accuse women Of indulging
in all the follies OF fashion that provided for
them. Inventive men devise things which, they
imagine, will be eagerly accepted by women,
but which for fact never get into at all. OF
that order no doubt, is the contrivance on exhi-
bition in a certain New York shop for toilet
goods 1t consists of An India rubber neck and
bust and is exhibited adjusted to oldish
woman empoye. It comes up close about the
neck, and has a velvet ribbon that conceals the
meeting. with ends of velvet depending in the
rear to hide the opening where it is buttoned or
stuck together. These ends of velvet are secure
" fastened so they will flop, and, the boys
say, 'give the whole snap away" 1t is painted
in flesh color and has every blue vein carefully
mapped out on it, and the wearer. who was pain
fully thn made up her fgure-head to match it
composure about this mask for the torso that
was unnatural. Aud how hot she must have
been with that clingine rubber over her neck and
shoulders! I studied her after vas told what
she had on. and it nearly stifed to conten-
plate her slowly frying in her fat. It is safe
to say that no sale of the apparatus will ever be
made; but it to advertise the shop, because
it sets the women to talking about it.
One of the most UNIQUE groups ever saw was
at the races. 1t consisted OF Eve persons in a
box at the front of the grand stand, and now
and then one two others who stood on the
turf in front In the forward row was young
colored and two young Irish women
Back Of them husband and wife of mid
die age, neither Of them Irish colored. All
were intent upon the races and bad come down
to bet young Irishman the MESSENGER
and head Of the party. He remained on the turf
in 'front.' except when he went to the betting
pavilion to learn about the odds or to place
money They were all quiet and unobtrusive,
and for this reason probably escaped my notice
until after the FIRST race. Then a TALL power
fully-built negro passed along the turf from the
pavilion, and he went before the box he |
looked up at the group, and, in tone that was
at once politely familiar and business-like,
said ''Well, did you mako good thingp
It was one of the Irish girls who replied: Eyes,
Eve for one." And the colored woman added, |
Il gos There too." Their tones indicated salts
faction. but i. was of the kind in which enthus- |
asm was repressed in which long experience |
had driven out excitement 1t was as clear as |
the hot sunlight that they were regular attend |
ants, that betting partook with them of D ousi- |
ness character. They were typical New Workers |
in dress, but there was none of that flash that |
would lead a suspicion of irregularity. The
negro went his way but during the afternoon
frequently returned and engaged the girls in |
conversation. / never blacker man any |
where His grave face lightened only by |
the red of his lips and the whites of his and
when he smiled by deep dimple IN which the |
sunbeams played and lost themselves He wore |
a narrow rimmed brown Derby on the side of his |